When In Love
by suspensegirl
Summary: Chuck/Blair/Eva drabbles & oneshots based off early S4 spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The poll voted yes, but I really could care less. Lol. I discovered Leighton's interview and I saw some filming that someone snuck onto yt of CB slowly walking towards each other and talking at night on a bridge in Paris. Awwww. I am a little sad to see Chuck's classy/suit/bowtie wardrobe go out the window, but hopefully it will return! XD Anyways, I was inspired. This fic is essentially a collection of oneshots and drabbles that pop into my head due to Chuck/Eva/Blair spoilers for S4. Heh. So, yes, some chapters will be of just Chuck & Eva, but there will always be some sort of hint or reference to CB, so I hope you will still read and review those chapters nonetheless. ;)

*This "chapter" consists of a couple scenarios that came to mind with that filming scene I saw. *smiles brightly*

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

….

**Scenario 1 – **

The night was beautiful, and she felt absolutely glamorous. The opera she'd chosen to go to with Serena had been spectacular. Now, they were just enjoying the pure sweetness of Parisian air. Nothing could have made the night more perfect. All of it was shattered in an instant when she saw _him_ standing on the opposite end of a bridge she and Serena were just about to cross, with the typical model blonde on his arm.

She forced herself not to care at first. He had broken her so badly. She had forced him out of her life indefinitely, at the time she'd made it out to be _permanently_. It wasn't long, though, when she'd realized she wouldn't stop loving him for a very long time, if ever. At times, she even blamed herself for how things had ended. _If only I'd gotten there sooner…_ she'd wondered. In the end, she was always justified – by Serena too – at the fact of how much an ass Chuck was. _He'll never change_, Serena told her. With everything he'd put her through, Blair found it pretty easy to believe. That didn't mean she didn't miss him during those fleeting moments throughout the summer.

So, yes, she cared. Especially since how he acted around the blonde was not the way he acted around the sluts he only planned to sleep with once and move on. Plus, he wasn't wearing a suit. That was odd for him, even the summer. He wasn't wearing anything that resembled him at all. _A t-shirt? What the hell? _

Both Nate and Serena, had, separately informed her of what had happened. She didn't know how they had taken it – her reaction. She had simply frozen, as if time no longer existed. She didn't know how she felt and her heart and mind were screaming at her to just feel something. The need to feel was so intense that she thought it was a feeling, but she simply couldn't stand it. It was driving her crazy. If logic had not been instilled in her, she would have run to him and held him and forgiven him on the spot. She would have dived back into that broken relationship she'd just escaped from, just because he was alive and he hadn't died alone in the dirty alleyways of Prague at night, abandoned in the darkness. She'd restrained though. Talk of him having an actual girlfriend about a month or so later sounded so foreign, so fake to her. She had been convinced it was mere gossip. Gossip Girl was good at spreading rumors and making them appear true. Seeing it in the flesh was a different story.

Chuck Bass had a girlfriend. And it wasn't her. The thought – the fact – made her heart clench and tears just barely suppressed themselves in her eyes. It burned to keep them so hidden. But Serena was so close and she couldn't afford to see that type of emotion in her face. She knew she'd take her in her arms and take her back to the hotel. She knew – _hoped_ – Chuck would spot her and feel incredibly guilty, knowing – _hopefully_ – that he was the cause of it. She wasn't sure if she wanted that or not.

Without a word though, further thoughts vanished. She pushed a lame excuse on Serena, and Chuck apparently did the same thing with the little blonde girl on his arm. Their eyes locked, and slowly, warily, the two made it to the center of the bridge. And stopped.

"Chuck," she said first. She didn't know if he'd remembered her demand to him as she left his hotel. He obviously did, because it took him an incredible amount of time to speak.

"Blair," he said, never for one second taking his gaze away from her face.

"I…heard what happened," she said, figuring his accident was really the only thing joining them. They were part of the non-judging breakfast club after all. Differences, anger, and broken hearts hadn't mattered any of the times they'd needed each other.

Chuck nodded slowly. She breathed slowly, unsure of what to do next.

"You look beautiful," he said slowly, admiring her tanned skin and the short new length her hair sat at around her shoulders. The beautiful red dress that wrapped around her body made her the center of attention at the opera he'd just happened to have been at with Eva. The fact that he'd been trying to move on obviously did not register on fate's radar. He'd ended up exactly where Blair and Serena had headed to, without even thinking.

"When, uh—" she fumbled around for words.

"I'm really sorry," he said, his eyes suddenly pleading for her forgiveness. He was still wading in the shallow end, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try his very hardest to have her at least see him as a human being. She seemed to accept it for about half a second before her eyes flickered over to Eva's. Unaware of the abrupt transition, Chuck's mostly calm face still penetrated into hers.

"I'm sure you are," she began, sarcasm slipping into her voice before she could stop it. Her eyes snapped back to his. "You've already replaced me."

His lips parted. "Blair—" he nearly whispered.

She waited for him to say more but he never did. Anger began to boil deep within her. It hadn't really erupted since she'd last seen him. There had just been the occasional crying session with Serena when she just couldn't stand being without him or what he'd done to her during the summer. She hated it all. And what was he doing post-break up? Getting _shot_ and _dating_ a _blonde_.

"She's pretty," she said, looking in the distance at the blonde who was waiting patiently for her boyfriend. "Looks nice too," she continued, quite impressed with how well she was holding back tears. She wanted to tell him she was happy for him, but she couldn't. How could she? After all he'd done, and how he was still hurting her by moving on so quickly. _She had never done that with him._ Marcus had hardly been a rebound.

She eyed him then, from head to toe. Nate had told her he'd changed – a lot. She hadn't wanted to listen. "You've changed," she told him. He blinked. She wasn't sure what to make of this new Chuck, but having her thoughts and the reality of her situation before her in the flesh and spoken out loud changed everything. She couldn't make herself leave; his gaze was too penetrating. But she didn't know if she could stand to be there another moment. But their blonde counterparts were no help. Apparently, they decided it was a private conversation, one that they thought shouldn't be interrupted.

Chuck wanted to touch her. His body was aching to hold her in arms, kiss her, or at the very least graze the lightly colored arm hairs covering her tanned skin. But he held back. He'd dream of holding her again tonight. That was his only reassurance.

"Chuck?"

Both turned ever so slightly to see the innocent blonde on his side inquiring wordlessly if it would be much longer. It was clear on her face that she was more than willing to wait as long as it took. Blair guessed that was what he liked most about her. She was the direct opposite of her. Right down to the hair color. She wanted to leave.

"He's coming," she called to her, smiling a little forced. Blair's gaze fixed back onto Chuck's as she took a step back. "We're done here," she said, brushing it off as an end to the conversation, but she knew Chuck was well aware of the double meaning. It pained her to leave him like that, especially since she had healed a little over the summer from the black hole he'd pushed her into.

She was gone into the night then, Serena quickly gathering her and whispering to her about what had happened between them, how intense it had looked. Chuck shook off his rapidly beating heart and the emotions that had just swallowed him whole. He turned around and heading back towards Eva, who held out her hand lovingly for him to take. He took it in his hand and pressed his lips to her. She waited for him to come closer and kissed him softly on the lips. His eyes twinkled down at her. She was such a sweet girl. She made him feel like he still had a chance in the world, that he wasn't a mistake and there was a possibility for forgiveness. He was so glad he'd found her. They walked into the night, stars decorating the sky, like nothing had happened.

…

**Scenario 2 –**

He'd asked her to come.

She hadn't seen him all summer, had sworn him from her life forever, deciding to start over for real. Then, he'd gone off and gotten shot, developed some sort of "new identity", and acquired a sweet, Parisian girlfriend that was so obviously the opposite of her. She'd been an idiot to accept his invitation. But she'd done it. There was no going back now.

There was no one but them. They didn't know how to act or what to say, if they should burst out in anger, talk softly, or depend on small talk, but their eyes were pinned to each other. Very slowly and very cautiously, they made it to the center of the bridge, a safe distance away but still close enough to hear each other whisper. When the wind weaved its way through her hair in his general direction, he felt it. Despite his "personality shift", Blair still got a chill from hearing his voice again.

"Chuck," she said. He smiled a little – didn't smirk; smiled.

"Blair," he said quietly.

"You wanted to meet me," she said, feeling the need to defend her purpose of being there. She didn't actually want to be there, be near him. It was too overwhelming, seeing him after all that had happened, especially the events she hadn't been around for.

"I missed you," he said.

Tears stung her eyes. "No," she said. "Don't do that." Her voice was firm, but neither could tell if it was really angry. She was just afraid of crying. She didn't want to let him see how much he still mattered to her, despite the pain. Chuck was quiet for a long time. Blair's breathing, having momentarily gone a bit ragged, slowly returned to normalcy.

"I'm different, Blair."

She said nothing. There was no way she was going to take him back just because they'd been apart for a summer and he was _different_.

"I have a girlfriend," he said.

Blair raised her chin proudly. This was familiar territory.

"I know," she said.

"Her name's Eva."

"Serena told me."

"She's a native of this area," he smirked. Another chill zipped through her, electricity snapping and crackling between them. His smirks always did that to her. They gave her a high nothing else ever did, despite what the subject of discussion was. She raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"She suits you," she said.

That seemed to take him back a little. Eva was nearly the opposite of Blair. Blonde with a big heart and a dazzling, sweet smile. It wasn't that Blair wasn't some of those things, but she was a little more exciting, had a few more layers, and would always, always be more intriguing to him. He would stand by his conviction to the end of his days.

_ "No one will ever measure up to what we had."_

"I'm glad you're okay now," she said, unable to specify that she was glad he now had a girlfriend that wasn't her. "The news of your…accident," she said carefully, "really shook me up," she confided, wondering only afterwards if she should have let on so much about her feelings towards him.

"Thanks," was all he could say. She nodded, pursed her lips and tried to control her anger. She didn't know how to feel, felt frozen in the mode of sympathy and calm bitterness, but inside she was screaming, crying, jumping off a cliff. She knew if he didn't say anything else, she would explode yelling at him for all the hurt he'd caused her and how coming back with a girlfriend only proved to help her even more. Then she remembered that she wasn't supposed to care – at least not in front of him, and that she'd demanded he not talk to him ever again.

"What do you want, Chuck?" she asked, suddenly exhausted.

"A truce," he said, before her sigh was even finished. She blinked, looking up at him offguard.

"What?" she asked, trying to hide how flabbergasted she really was.

"A truce," he said again. "I know you said you wanted me out of your life, or at the very least, never to speak to you again."

She nodded briskly; her anger shining through in the memory he'd purposefully reminded her of.

"But I've changed, Blair; _really_. Please don't shut me out of your life."

He didn't step forward and hold her wrists in a gentle grip in his hands like she'd expected. It was a simple plea, one she wasn't sure she could handle, one she'd have to get back to him on.

"N—"

Her voice got lost in her through. She'd been a breath away from denying him but suddenly her throat had gotten thick and not even a squeak was allowed through. Chuck looked completely unfazed, as if she hadn't made a noise, let alone a denial to his request. She closed her eyes and cleared her throat.

"I don't how to do that," she said softly, her eyes settled on his midsection. She didn't look there on purpose, she just couldn't make herself look back into his eyes or all the way to the ground. She recalled his full ensemble though. She despised how _un-_Chucklike it was. Though she didn't know why she should care, or, again, why she had even come to begin with. Finally, her strength resurged out of nowhere.

"You hurt me," she said, confidence filling every word. She had the upperhand. He was in the wrong, not her. "Three months doesn't change that." She stepped back before she would give away anything else. Keeping him feeling guilty, despite what had happened to him, would be the only thing to keep her strong. Regardless, her mouth slipped.

"Replacing with _our_ polar opposite doesn't really heighten your chances either."

"It's not _me_ anymore, Blair."

Brief hurt flashed across her face.

"Of course it's not."

She walked away.

….

A/N: My ideas. =) Please comment! =D I have an idea for a CB reunion, but it's only like a few lines long, so I think I may wait until more inspiration develops something more in my mind. XD Please don't tell me about any spoilers but what I mention in the author's notes. I have a very love/hate relationship with spoilers. Lol. I don't like to be informed unless I accidentally stumble on them myself. XD


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Just some little angsty drabbles. =) Hopefully you understand the time frame and background info. If not, just ask. =)

***Dedicated to ****BookCaseGirl****. 'Cause life is sometimes sucky, but you are always wonderful.**

….

**Drabble 1:**

He watched her from afar, wondering what she was thinking. She stood beside a French boy and flirted shamelessly. She wasn't an embarrassing flirt either. She'd never been, not even when she'd practically thrown herself at Nathaniel for just a little of his attention. Chuck was not thrilled that one of the French boys Blair had met over the summer had transferred to Columbia and was in a number of Blair's classes, but he knew he had no right to be upset, and so never interfered. She had a right to be happy, and he'd known from the beginning that would never be with him.

"Chuck?"

Eva's voice drew him out of his thoughts like sweet honey draws a bee to the most beautiful flower. Eva seemed perfect. Though, she did look like the typical blonde on the outside, she was anything but on the inside. She had the largest heart he'd ever seen. He wouldn't be surprised if she gave to charities and volunteered for the homeless as a hobby. She was fun to be around and she had an incredible conscience, one that never annoyed him. He had a second chance with her. She made him happy.

"Yes?"

"Do you still love her?" she asked.

He blinked, hardly the question he'd expected to exit her mouth. There was even a hint of worry in her big, blue eyes.

"_What_?" he asked, sounding more shocked than he'd meant to. Eva pursed her lips.

"You told me the two of you have history," she said softly, "and I know you like me and you want to forget your past, but…"

"Who I was in my past was not someone who could ever be worthy of you." He held her chin between two fingers. It did not seem to ease her doubts. "Blair was in my past," he assured her.

"That doesn't answer my question," she said, searching her eyes for some sort of denial on his part, just to get her through the day.

"I like you a lot, Eva. I'm not going back to Blair. Not even if that was an option, would I go back to Blair." He was very sure of himself, and she believed every word he said. He believed it too, and because of it she finally relaxed, leaning forward to peck him softly on the lips.

_"…because I love her. And I can't make her happy."_

…_._

**Drabble 2:**

"Blair! Blair!"

"Leave me alone, Chuck!" She stomped away from him, straight into the hotel suite at the Empire she'd _innocently_ checked into.

"Blair!" He grumbled momentarily when the door shut and locked behind her. But it was hardly an issue for him. A few swift movements to one of the staff members on that floor, and he was instantly let in with the master key. He waved the staff member off as he entered the suite and shut the door behind him.

Blair sighed, annoyed. "Breaking and entering, Chuck? Really?" She stared intensely at the bottle of liquor sitting temptingly in front of her.

"It's not breaking and entering if you own the hotel."

She scoffed, not even pausing to think of how Chuck-like he sounded at that particular moment. It wasn't as if he was a completely different person when they met up again at the end of the summer, but there was a clear difference. That difference had been fading, melding into the old Chuck. Tonight when he'd told her that Eva had broken up because she couldn't stand his emotional cheating on her, she'd calmly made it out of the gala ballroom and headed off to _The Empire_. Hardly five seconds later, he'd followed her. She instantly panicked when she realized him following her inside of his hotel, especially when she started running and he started chasing. Unfortunately for him, he'd missed the first hotel and ran up the stairs to keep up with her.

"Blair, just let me get this out."

Her eyes flashed up to his. She straightened and raised her eyebrows expectantly, crossing her arms across her chest. "Fine. Speak!" She started walking towards him, suddenly very fired up. "Tell me your still in love with me. Tell me this time will be different. Tell me to marry you just because you can!"

His expression had been calm until her last exasperation had been shouted in his face. His eyes widened and he thought he couldn't breathe for a few moments. _He didn't know she had known about the engagement ring…_

Blair's eyes searched his desperately, the rage almost evaporated completely in the need for the confirmation of what she'd just said.

"No," he said.

Her eyes watered and she turned away. After a few moments filled with stifled sobs, she found her voice. "If you won't leave, I will go to a different hotel."

Slowly, Chuck moved away from her and walked towards the door, closing it softly behind him. More cheeks spilled down her cheeks when she looked to where he'd been and found the space vacant. She walked to the couch and curled up on it, huddling close to herself and cursing the feelings she should have known would never go away. Six months since she'd left him, and she was still pissed as hell. She was also still madly in love with him, and that made everything worse.

…..

**Drabble 3:**

His heavy breathing made her turn around. She was shocked to see him so disheveled-looking in the doorway. Even when he'd come back acting much more casual than he'd ever been, she'd never seen him like this. When he'd asked her to come over, she'd been hesitant but had still come. Over the last few months, though she'd been positive they could never be together, her sympathy after learning of his getting shot had allowed a friendship between them. There was no reason for her to be cautious about coming over.

"Chuck?" Her brows furrowed, concerned. "What is it?"

"Eva and I broke up," he said, walking towards her slowly and still trying to catch his breath.

"What happened?" she asked, sympathizing again.

"She didn't want to be with someone who's still in love with his first love, his only love, his—"

He was a breath away, and she placed her hand over his mouth, preventing him from saying another word. Or doing anything else.

"This doesn't change anything," she whispered, cursing herself for looking so deeply into his eyes and then staring at his lips once she'd taken her hand away. She waited for him to look disappointed or outraged, but nothing came.

"With _us_, I mean," she clarified. Chuck nodded slowly, a smile playing on his lips. She was completely lost in the signs he was showing off.

"I was going to ask you to marry me," he told her. She could not hide how her eyes widened at the statement. She'd been told something of that nature vaguely throughout the last few months, but hearing it from his own mouth was completely different.

"Chuck—"

He silenced her with a scorching kiss, thrilled more than he could have possibly imagine that she did not push him away, slap him, or storm off. Instead, she responded, pulling him closer to her.

"No," she pulled away finally, shaking her head with her eyes closed. "I can't let you in again. I can't let you hurt me. I can't…" she trailed off, shuddering beneath him as he began to decorate her throat with sensual kisses.

"I don't deserve you. I know I don't. I don't deserve your love. But I'll never be able to stop loving you, not if you hate me or push me out of your life completely. Not even liking and dating another girl or changing my life around has made it stop. The butterflies…" he breathed roughly, "are always there."

His head nestled against her neck, but finally he looked up at her. "Tell me you don't love me, and I swear I'll walk away. But I'll never stop loving you. No one will ever measure up, at least not to me."

She bit her lip, fighting herself for how much she should actually say. She took a shaky breath and swallowed hard. She couldn't tell if Chuck was needed an answer out of her as much as she did, but the obvious difference in his expression told her all she needed to know when she laid her hand gently along to side of his face.

"I still love you, Chuck," she said. Then, she leaned forward and kissed him slowly, softly. She swore the shaky desperate feeling transferred to his body. When she lifted her head to greet his hazel-brown eyes again, he was still searching hers. But an almost coy smile had rested on her face.

"Love makes everything simple," she said. He exhaled in obvious relief and pulled her closer, kissing her intensely until they both needed a sufficient amount of air.

"Marry me," he breathed, glorying in her scent and the feel of her body in such an intimate way again. Just after the words slipped out, he wondered anxiously if he had been too forward. _He couldn't lose her again. _Not after such a breakthrough.

"I'll think about it," she giggled against him. His fears evaporated.

…

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! =) Angsty drabbles were requested, but I'm a sucker for happy endings. Hopefully there was enough angst to be loved. Lol.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, I'm seriously in the middle of writing up the next chapter for GWK, but this little idea just came to me, and I refuse to put it away until I'm done, even if it's only 500 words later. Last night, I came up with this brilliant SB drabble convo involving Chuck, and it completely disappeared by morning. Never again. Lol. Review!

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

….

She wished there was a bridge she could meet him at like the one they'd joined each other at in Paris. It had seemed like such a romantic setting, however heartbreaking the actual situation had been. Now, she longed for that again – not the heartbreak, but if that's as close as she could get to the setting they'd had before, she would take it. She missed Chuck. Saying she didn't would be the biggest lie in the world. They'd managed to become friends again, and she was incredibly relieved. Despite it basically being all up to her, the healing process had been moving far too slow and as time went on, it was almost as if someone else was controlling her, refusing to forgive the once love of her life. She was glad they'd finally reached that point. But it still wasn't enough.

The Brooklyn Bridge was not exactly the key place she'd expected herself to pick for their meeting. She was already wishing she hadn't arranged the meeting, but she didn't want to talk to anyone else, and she honestly thought that the conversation they'd partake in wouldn't have anything to do with their current relationship, just her problems.

"Hey." She heard his quiet voice just to the right of her, somehow breaking through the low hum of cars on the road a few feet behind them. She smiled weakly at him in response.

"Hey," she said. Slowly, he reached where she stood on the bridge and halted. She was facing away from the road, and just a few inches away from her hand on the handle, he braced himself, looking out into the oblivion of buildings at which she was staring.

"What's the problem?" he asked, not looking away from the looking blackness decorated with lights. She shrugged.

"Same old, same old, I guess." She shrugged. "I'm losing Serena to strange men and jobs that don't deserve her."

He nodded along, looking like he comprehended, or at least that he was listening. "What else?" he asked. She turned to him, knowing all along that he'd see through her surface frustrations to the heart of the matter.

"She's transferring to Brown in the spring."

He watched her eyes fill with tears, but somehow couldn't force himself to turn away. She was the first to look back out at the lit up buildings. He heard her sigh shakily and, taking a huge leap of faith, wrapped a couple of his fingers around her clenched ones closest in him.

"You'll be okay," he told her. She nodded, biting down on her lip to keep from sobbing. She hadn't realized how much Serena's departure was actually affecting her, especially with their current, constant battles. Last year it might have been different because she had been prepared for her best friend to go off to her own dream school. She also hadn't been fighting with her every other second. Their magical summer didn't help matters. She had scolded herself more than once about how she should have realized that was the calm before the storm.

"Things are going good at school, aren't they?" he asked, breaking into her thoughts. She nodded along.

"Yes," she said, restrained sobs evident in her voice. "I've got…" she laughed a little through her teary sighs, "minions again. _Real_ ones."

He smirked, gazing over her features, glad that he could remind her of some small happiness.

"I'm popular again." She chuckled further, shaking her head in how ridiculous the words were in the midst of the nature of their conversation. She was breaking down over possibly losing her best friend. _What did popularity matter when true bonds were at risk?_

"And Nate?" he continued, "You've got him, don't you?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Not really. He's got some new fling on his arm 24/7. It's a little annoying to be honest. Even when you and I—" She broke off, realizing how far she'd gone. She gasped and looked to him a little frantic. He did not seem concerned in the least. She laughed a little nervously and clenched her fingers tighter on the bar. Throughout her hand gestures, she had lost the contact of his warm hand. "He's busy," she finished, eager to be done talking.

Chuck almost suggested that the reason Serena and Nate had gone so MIA was because they were heartbroken over each other, but he knew that wasn't the case. It had been several months since the beginning of summer, nearing the end of October. If the blondes had really wanted to make it work, they would have done it by now. Taking a break from each other was probably for the best.

"You've got me," he said quietly, almost afraid to say it. She turned to look at him, surprised.

"You're busy too," she responded. "With Eva," she said, before he could interrupt her. A wry smile covered his face.

"I'm not with her all the time," he told her, but he knew it was not with as much conviction as he needed to convince her. He knew what she was hinting at, but he was afraid to approach the topic of their past.

"You're still busy."

He nodded a little and gazed back out at the buildings as her eyes gazed down at their barely separated hands. He could feel her hand inching closer to his, but knew she wouldn't make the contact. She was still scared of this new them. She couldn't voice her thoughts. She didn't know entirely how to be herself around him. Her next shaky, breathless words expressed exactly those sentiments.

"I miss it."

If he hadn't known the precise words she was going to say, he wouldn't have heard anything even in his mind. It scared him how much he still knew her, despite how he was trying to change. He was learning the hard way that changing yourself in just 3 months was easier said than done. So much of him still ached to hold Blair in his arms. They hadn't even come back to that stage in their relationship. It was as if the damage he had done had destroyed their entire relationship, and was just very slowly being rebuilt. Chuck believed it was an understanding neither fully realized or wished to confirm.

"Blair—"

She cut him off, spinning towards him in single fast whirl. "I need you to tell me something."

He didn't look overly surprised by her statement and action, but he was caught off guard. "What is it?" he asked patiently. She saw the hint of passion in his eyes and wished she could unleash it again.

"If I forgave you…would you…" She lost her voice mid-sentence.

"No," he told her as gently as he could. She blinked back tears again and his heart clenched tightly inside him. It seemed no matter what he did, he was causing her pain.

"I still love you, Chuck," she said, letting the words sink in. It was a relief to say them out loud, but she was still tense waiting for his reaction. Unconsciously, he brought his hands to wrap around her own as he turned fully to her. Their fingers intertwined. She wondered if he knew. He seemed to be fighting intensely with something inside his mind. She thought she could almost see the combat in his eyes.

"No," he finally said, far too late to prove a point.

"Chuck," she said softly, yearning to bring her hand up to his face and gently stroke it. He held her hands firmly though, and she was forced to remain still. She gathered up her courage and continued. "I asked you here because despite of everything that's happened, you're the one who understands and knows how to fix everything."

"When I'm not the cause," he stated bluntly.

"Chuck…"

"No," he said again, trying desperately to keep her from fighting for him. He didn't deserve to be fought for, and if he did, it was with someone he hadn't hurt so horribly before. "You don't love me," he stressed.

"_Chuck_." She laughed, in disbelief that he was going to use _that_ theory to push her away.

"You're in love with who I _used_ to be," he said, his eyes intensely settled on hers. He saw as her face fell, and knew that she understood the point he was making. "That person is dead; gone," he continued when he was sure she wouldn't interrupt. "That person died the second he was shot trying to save what would have been your engagement ring…if he had not screwed up so horribly." Her eyes widened. He decided he'd dwell on later that she had not known the reason he'd ended up in the hospital with a hole running through his body.

"But _Chuck_," she pleaded. He couldn't believe his eyes wouldn't turn away from the flooding dark brown eyes that always stole his breath.

"_No_, Blair," he breathed roughly. "_Please_," he demanded, begging for her silence. She was taken aback, literally stepping away. He released her hands. She found herself looking away from him, all around but at him. She allowed herself one more glance at the man she knew she'd never get over.

"You do realize that you've erased all of it then, don't you?"

He looked at her still with that intent, understanding, _listening_ gaze. She was starting to hate it.

"You're erasing our entire history by not even accepting what there is between us, or even what there was. You just can't live with it, so you decided to be born again at nineteen after some near death experience and live some half-ass life because you think being the real, amazing, granted somewhat immature, you is…is…"

He covered her mouth with his hand, needing to block out the teary rant she'd gone off of.

"Yes," he told her. "I don't want you to be hurt. If erasing my life is a way to do that, then I'll do it. The transition is obviously more painful than I'd anticipated, but—"

She ripped his hand away from her mouth. "No! It's more than painful, it'd life-threatening because I'm still here! I didn't die when you decided to start your life over. I'm still the same person. I've healed over from what you've done, but not from what you've become. I'll never get over that. Because, I _love_ you. And erasing how much you hurt me is pretty much tearing me apart, taking half of me away and trampling all over it, because that's how much of you in me there is! You can't erase the made without erasing all of the good with it. I can't—I won't go through with that. Don't you see you're making everything worse by trying to step out of my life, or erase yourself all together?"

Her eyes were desperate, but his temper was rising. "Trying? I believe it was you who told me to never say anything to you ever again," he said, his tone carefully controlled.

"I was heartbroken after I'd learned what you'd done. But I just told you I forgave you. I always forgive you, Chuck, no matter what happens, and I hate that about myself, I hate it. But it's something I just can't help. Because I love you so much, I—"

She was cut off, almost stopped breathing when he stepped away from her, and just kept walking back. "I don't want to hurt you, Blair," he finally said. "The sooner you figure out that this way is the best way to avoid that, the better." He took a deep breath when she said nothing more. His shoulders relaxed and his voice softened. "Everything will be fine with Serena. She's just scared of losing you too. You should talk to her."

He turned and walked away, not even sparing her a second glance. She hated the whole confrontation. She knew then that she hadn't really been crying over Serena. Maybe a little, but the withheld tears that now were being let loose, had been from how much she'd lost with Chuck. He was being too brave for her, and it was ruining everything. The fact that all of this had happened because he'd been trying to save the engagement ring he'd intended to give to her made her feel incredibly guilty. She wondered if life would have been better for both of them if they'd never met, or the very least never fallen in love. The mere contemplation gave her deeper shudders of anguish and flooding tears harder and faster than had ever happened by something he'd just _done_, or even just the fact that he'd moved on with someone else.

"Chuck!" she called out, hopeful that he hadn't left entirely. She noticed on the far end of the bridge, just barely visible in the darkness of the night, a figure halted and then turned to her. She gasped in surprise and a sudden bubbling over happiness. She ran towards him, straight into his arms, before he could say another word. As if instinct, his arms wrapped tightly around her. She did not dare try to kiss him – wouldn't make him cheat; would be so ashamed if she achieved, even if she wanted him to herself.

He said nothing. Just held her in his arms. Hot, silent tears poured out of her tightly closed eyelids and down her cheeks, some of them dripping onto his skin and sinking into his shirt.

"Thank-you," she cried out, her voice muffled against his skin. Chuck chose to believe she'd accepted his decision to them starting over as anything in the social realm. She was obviously thanking him for letting her move them along to the next stage in their comfort towards one another, he thought. Hugging was finally allowed. His mind nagged at him that that was so obviously not the truth, but he wanted to arrive home without feeling guilty about hurting Blair. Her gratitude in show of her arms wrapped around his neck did exactly that, no matter the _actual_ cause. The possibility that maybe he should be feeling guilty about a little emotional unfaithfulness to his _girlfriend_ went in one ear and out the other.

"God, Blair…" he finally sighed against her. The shivers running through her at the sound of his sexy, growling voice against her neck thrilled him to no end. It was as if for one sole moment they had gone back in time to their reunion at the beginning of the summer, and he hadn't screwed it all over, sealing their fate forever.

She didn't release him for a very long time. He had no trouble holding on, allowing himself a single friendly kiss on the cheek when she finally departed his limo an hour later.

…

A/N: Assume what you wish. ;) Please review. =)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: QUICK! BEFORE I FORGET MY AWESOME NEW IDEA (and some others, hehe)! *runs off to write* *begs for reviews in hindsight*

…

**Drabble 1—**

"What are you talking about?" She couldn't get her hands out of his grasp. She wasn't even trying. She was confused. She hated being confused, especially in regards to Chuck.

"I broke up with Eva," he said, his eyes searching hers. He wasn't mocking or teasing, nothing the old Chuck would have done, but she could see him seeping back into her vision. If the circumstances had been different, she would be smirking.

"Why?" she asked, sounding a defensive she did not feel.

"Because," He cleared his throat, preparing himself. He looked nervous. It'd been a long time since she'd seen him nervous, with her at least. It'd been _months_. "She refused to be with me."

Her brows furrowed. Still confused. "But you said _you_ broke up with _her_."

"I did." He nodded assuringly. "A long time ago."

She shook her head, looking down at their interlacing fingers, unable to stop the intimate motion. She felt as if she had no control over anything in her body, her head seeming to be the exception. The ability to speak was very reassuring. Though, she was a little irritate that he did not bother to explain himself. She could see the old Chuck coming back, and that Chuck knew her inside and out. It didn't look like he was goading her on. She could feel her patience wearing thin.

"Chuck, you're not making any sense." Her eyes pleaded for a straight answer from him as they bored into his own. He sighed, mentally reminding himself that he'd known from the start this moment would come. Perhaps he'd been afraid to say it out straight. She'd never know. A shiver ran up her spine at the feel of his thumbs swirling tiny circles on her hands. She still could not understand her sudden paralyzed state from the moment he'd taken her hands after two long strides into the room. All she could do was listen to him and try and speak her own thoughts as her body reacted to his sweet caresses.

"When I first started dating Eva," he began, "I believed it was because I sincerely liked her…and I did." She tensed in his grip, but once again made no move to retreat. "She was everything you weren't, and I thought that was the best way to start over. What I didn't realize was, that though I really did like Eva, subconsciously I had chosen to date her not just for who she was but because there was a possibility being with someone like her would make me worthy of someone like you."

Her paralysis disintegrated into ash. She pulled her hands away from his and took a step back. His eyes pleaded for her not to leave. It was her own house, so he didn't think it was likely. But she had walked out on him more than once, even just as friends, and now was not one of her cold moments where she'd force him to leave. Then again, he hadn't been closely acquainted with her for some time, even in their attempts to be civil and maybe even _friends_.

"So, you used her." Her eyes narrowed. His lips parted at her accusation.

"I didn't mean to," he said breathlessly. "I only realized my underlying intentions after it was all over." Blair scoffed, not believing him.

"Same old Chuck." She shook her head. She was angry, and she knew why. The old Chuck had been there all along, just deceiving himself. She wanted to convince herself it had been on purpose. "I knew you couldn't change."

"Blair—"

She held up a hand, instantly halting his attempt to close the distance between them. When she was convinced he would not try to take her hands again, or God forbid, _kiss_ her, she lowered her hand and crossed her arms across her chest, analyzing him.

"So, who broke up with whom?" she asked finally. Chuck blinked, as if he had not expected her to return to the original subject of conversation.

"She broke up with me," he said bluntly. There was a little hurt in his voice, but she could not detect much of it.

"Why?" she asked warily.

"Because I'm still in love with you." He sighed. "She asked me if I was a couple of months ago, and I said yes. She refused to let that be a just cause for us breaking up…then. I wanted to want only her, and she knew I was trying to, but this morning she came to me and told me she couldn't handle it. She wanted me all to herself, and she's convinced that'll never happen." He sounded weary, but Blair couldn't help but be a little excited. Not because she wanted him to hurt, she'd gotten over that quickly after she learned he'd been shot, and she had not been there. Not even to taunt him once he'd come out of his unconsciousness. The reason for her excitement was because she knew what was coming next.

"Won't it?" she asked, her eyebrows raised in amusement.

"No," he said. His eyes were dead set on her, and she felt another shiver zip up her spine.

"I'm sure after a lot of time—"

"No," he said, leaving no room for questions. He closed the distance between them.

"Chuck," she said, sounding exasperated, "everyone can move on from their past loves…" Her breath got caught in her throat when she felt his hands close around her upper arms. For a few too long moments, she could not speak. "…if given the proper treatment," she finally said.

He smirked, and she knew her face had exploded into a pinkish – if not deep red – blush. Now, she knew her Chuck was back. He had never really been gone. He'd just been hidden because she hadn't been with him. The knowledge of that made her heart flutter.

_"I'm not Chuck Bass…without you."_

She'd forgiven him a long time ago, she realized. She just hadn't let herself voice it to anyone, especially herself. Then she would have gotten swamped up into unbearable hurt at the sight of him prancing around with a girl she imagined he'd said 'I love you' to with no problem.

"Really?" he asked, cocky as ever. She wanted to smirk back at him but she felt like she was going to explode. His hands on her arms warmed her to her core. She wanted him. That was not helping anything. In her mind, she couldn't even tell herself taking him back was a bad idea. He had suffered enough, had tried to play the good guy, be someone he wouldn't. In the end, he had realized he couldn't change who he was, just how he dealt with his ever broken heart. His heart was back on his sleeve again. She couldn't bear the thought of not taking it.

"Chuck," she breathed. His expression changed from cocky to heated in an instant. She saw the desire and love in his eyes. It was almost painful to look at. She collapsed against his chest, and his arms wrapped around her back.

"Take me back, Blair," he begged, holding her tightly to him. "I'm not Chuck Bass without you."

She laughed lightly through her breathlessness. "You've already used that line, Bass."

He released her and tipped her chin up so that she was looking directly at him. "And I've always meant it." She sighed in the knowledge of inevitable contentedness and relief. She could tell that he wanted to kiss her, probably had since the moment he walked in the door, maybe before that. The possibilities were endless, and she gloried in all of them. He hesitated though, and she knew she'd have to take the initiative. She parted her lips and moved the few inches closer to his lips.

"Yes," she breathed. His lips moved to hers before the word had barely left her mouth. She moaned into him, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck. She thought she might be crying. He thought he was dreaming. But she was still there when he opened his eyes, and he was shaking. Her eyes sparkled up at him.

"I still love you too."

His relieved sigh was very audible. He cupped her face in his hands and looked at her intensely. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that."

"At least you didn't sleep with Humphrey in the process this time," she chuckled. His eyes darkened. "You were in a real relationship, one that shouldn't have been allowed to hurt me. And for the most part, I wouldn't let it. My conviction was to hate you."

He tilted his head in question. "I was very unsuccessful," she confided. His eyes smiled at her and he bent his head to kiss her.

"I'm going to marry you someday," he murmured against her. Her whole body shivered with the beauty of that statement. A giggle slipped out.

"I'm going to let you," she whispered.

…

**Drabble 2—**

It was a warm, sunny afternoon. Manhattan was decorated with New Yorkers, enjoying the last few days of the hot summer air, partaking in activities that didn't require business wear or a formal itinerary. On a day like this, Blair would either stick to shopping or would lounge at the beach. She felt like neither. Serena was busy, and no one else would do. She wasn't about to ask Chuck to come with her, shot or not she was still so very heartbroken over what he had done. So, she walked the streets alone, searching for some sort of excitement, or maybe peace from the fast-paced, though luxurious and romantic summer.

Chuck felt the air shift. He was sitting with Eva, her tanned skin highlighted against the rounded black bench. He felt very happy with her, secure, not guilty. He loved to kiss her, and the way her hair shined in the sun completely intensified his senses. She was such a sweetheart too. He doubted she would have been with him before the accident. Though, she might have been naïve like Jenny Humphrey was at the Kiss on the Lips party. He did not want to think about the similarities. All he knew was that Blair was nearby and Eva was still talking to him. He'd been listening a moment ago, but he lost all train of thought. He tensed.

"Are you alright?" He heard Eva ask. Immediately he focused his attention back on hers.

"Yes, beautiful," he said, kissing her sweetly on the cheek. "Continue."

She glowed. "I just told you I loved you." She smiled, and he went into panic mode. It was not because he was afraid of feelings like with Blair, it was because he didn't love Eva, not yet at least. Some part of him was convinced he never would. But he didn't want to break her heart. He was sick of breaking girls' hearts.

"You did?" he finally asked, fighting to maintain the steady control he still had on his voice. She was oblivious to how intensely the war was going on inside him. He had grown incredibly tense, and was quite surprised she hadn't noticed. Maybe she had just chosen not to say anything. Perhaps she had thought he was just nervous to respond to her in the appropriate manner. She knew nothing of how hard it'd been for him to say the words the first time. She knew nothing about any of it. All she knew was the bare essentials and that he'd screwed up a lot before he got shot, that that was the reason he got shot: because he cared too much, and so screwed up worse than anyone when things got bad. He didn't dare tell her he didn't know how to love, even if that had been the one always constant thought penetrating his mind from the last time Blair had walked out on him.

"What do you have to say to that, Charles?" She drew out his full first name, just like Blair had always done with his last. He knew Blair was close. He didn't have to look to find her. He knew he couldn't at this point, not when Eva was holding out for his I love you. They'd only been together a few months, he thought. That would be as good an excuse as any to prevent her from pressuring him further.

"I'm not ready, Eva," he said, wrapping a blonde curl around her ear. She was clearly disappointed, but took it in stride. She laid her head on his shoulder and took his hand in her own, intertwining their fingers.

"I'll be waiting for you when you are." She smiled tenderly, but his smile was forced. He was glad she couldn't see it. The clacking of heels made him turn his head. He saw Blair walking away and honestly thought she'd heard the whole conversation. He wanted her to know he hadn't moved on, even if he was trying to. He wanted her to know she was still ingrained in his blood, and that _I love you_ wouldn't flow from his lips to someone like Eva for a very long time. He tried not to think about how that end time might be forever.

She walked faster than ever to get away from the scene. She could not bear to be near to Chuck and Eva when they embraced their first love confessions. Angry, hurt chills had shot with her and she despised herself for it. She knew it couldn't be helped though, just like when her heart had soared with his inability to tell his blonde girlfriend that he loved her. She hoped it was because of _her_, his first love, that he was so hesitant. Then she scolded herself for listening in so long, and even thinking of him happily to begin with.

…

**Drabble 3—**

He was at her doorstep just as Blair walked by. She didn't see her, and he was glad for it. There wouldn't be a show down between them, there never was. There was just shielded bitterness in Blair's eyes when she saw them together. He hated that he'd brought that out in her, but in the long run he decided it would be better for her to be bitter over him moving on, than be heartbroken because he could never treat her right as a boyfriend.

"Last I checked, people didn't go to bed at three in the afternoon," she remarked snidely, passing him by on the street. Without thinking, he followed her.

"She's not going to bed, Blair. She just wanted some time to herself. I think she's getting together with friends later," he said. She raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"Is that so?"

He nodded, and then looked at her suspiciously. "Yeah. Is that so hard to believe?"

She shrugged. "Maybe it's because she's French."

"You like French people."

"Well, yes, certain kinds. My father lives in France after all, I kind of have to. And Paris is a beautiful city, so immediately the people look gorgeous. Not everybody though." She continued on in her path down the street, confident in her stride. He did not fall behind.

"You don't like Eva," he said, deciding it was finally time to deal with the issue.

"She's a nice girl," she said, not denying his statement. "Have you slept with her yet?" she asked a beat later, before he could think of something to say. Any words on his end were delayed further with the speechlessness that came of her question.

"We're taking things slow," he said finally. She stopped suddenly, not meaning to. She'd heard similar words before from him. _Slow_ had never really happened. Their attempts to 'take things slow' either ended things much quicker, or sped up the waiting process for sex. Most of the time they just couldn't keep their hands off each other. Somewhere in the back of her mind she took joy in the fact that Chuck didn't seem to be having a problem with taking things slow with his new _girlfriend_.

She started walking again. "Plan on doing her in your limo?" she asked casually, remembering for only a brief moment his comment that the limo was sacred, for them. She hoped he hadn't changed his mind like he had with everything else. Moisture ebbed up in her eyes; she couldn't believe she was near _tears_ at the possibility that he might taint their 'special place' with someone else.

"She's not that kind of girl, Blair."

She stopped again. This time she turned to look at him. He was already standing still, looking searchingly into her deep brown eyes. Her heart begged her to not take his reasoning so personally. She should have known he would not admit to keeping Eva from the back of his limo because his memories with Blair there were sacred, she thought. She brushed aside the contemplation and put on her best fake smile.

"She may not be kinky, but I know some part of you still is and will exploit her innocence in that venue soon enough." He parted his lips to contradict her, but she continued on. "When she's ready," she assured him, her smile deepening into bitch mode. Then, she spun on her heels and began to walk away, proud of herself for having won the argument.

"I'm not that kind of guy," he called out to her. She stopped again, the feel of bugs crawling all over her. She felt like she was enclosed in a dark, icy world. She didn't dare turn around to face him. He was half a block away now, but it still felt as though he was right behind her, breathing against her neck. "Not anymore," he said softly. It was a miracle she had heard him. But she had. She always did. She hated that.

A tear seeped out of both her eyes at once, but she wiped them away before they got access to her cheeks. She so desperately wanted him to assure her that, even though Eva was not 'that kind of girl', the memories they had made together still imprinted his decisions on how far he would go. But he said nothing more, and she started walking again. She had brought no Kleenex with her, and she knew if she attempted a retort sobs would sneak into her voice. At the very least her eyes would look red when she said it. So, she just left him standing there, with him having won the argument. The fact did not make her feel any better. It made her feel worse. _He shouldn't be able to win when she'd lost so many times._

She wondered if he cared.

….

A/N: That is all. The last two I've had in mind for awhile, I just always kept forgetting about them when I wrote newer drabbles for this. XD The first one I just came up with today, and it was like this light bulb sort of moment. I really like the possibility that he tries to move on with Eva so he can be worthy of Blair someday again. Heh. Please review. I was gonna update GWK tonight too, but it just isn't going to happen. Maybe tomorrow. =)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Okay, this is a long time coming – sort of. Heh. I saw Blake, Penn & Leighton on ET last week, so…that inspired me. I'm pretty sure this official update is coming from the fact that I saw that flippin amazing GG S4 promo today. OH-MY-WORD. The CB moments make me so hopeful! *squeal* I'll admit, I was open-minded about the whole Chuck/Eva union all summer, but then I saw some cutesy filming scenes with them yesterday and was completely…disgusted. Lol. Must be b/c of the fact that I'm making a CB vid right now. XD Anyways, the promo makes me feel much better, and definitely gives me a different perspective to come from when writing these drabbles. Heh. *nods* Well, without further ado, here it is! =D I think it's just one, and will probably be short…and similar to ones I've done in the past, but…it bugs me, the theme of it, kinda. Heh. I'm babbling. Read on. Please review. =)

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

…

She didn't think it'd be so hard, watching him stand there and look in love with someone else. It wasn't as if their meeting on the bridge had been that successful, or had caused her to look past all the pain, but this certainly wasn't helping matters either. Despite her demand that he stay out of her life, she had expected he would fight for her. Instead, he'd gotten in an accident she hadn't been aware of, and he'd moved on…with _her_.

It had been less than twenty-four hours since they'd met on that bridge. A lot of what he'd had to say had gone right over her head. She remembered him telling her he'd been shot – _that_ had taken her by surprise. She couldn't tell if that had lessened some of her anger towards what he'd done then, but she knew some had ebbed away by now, just twelve hours later. More than words though, it had been how he looked at her. Despite any anger or loss or hurt or unnatural awkwardness that existed heavily between them, she'd seen the love in his eyes when he looked at her. It was almost painful to look at. It reminded her of so much, of every time he'd looked at her when he wasn't scheming or in a drunken state ever since that spark that had fired off that first night at Victrola, when he wasn't angry from thinking too much and dwelling on all the wrong that had happened in his life. It was like he was begging her to take him back all over again. She could remember every word he'd said when he'd begged her to take him back – _every_ time.

Now, she felt empty. She knew she should move on. She knew she should be healed enough to move on. But she just…couldn't. All she wanted was him. Serena's countless crushes over the summer, and hers not so much, proved a lot. She'd be an idiot to even attempt denial. Deciding to face the facts had made that clear to her when she'd shown up on that bridge. She saw everything in his eyes then. _Desire. Admiration. Awe. Need._ It broke her heart, for both of them. _I want you_ went unspoken throughout the whole experience, because his eyes never left her face, even if she had trouble maintaining eye contact. He probably didn't blame her. But it was over now. She had told him nothing had changed. He had left a broken man – still. She had felt bad this time. But, looking at him across the way made her wonder if he'd even been serious. He was clearly already involved with someone else. All it had taken was nearly getting killed, not that that wasn't a good excuse. But still. She'd thought their love could withstand anything. When she'd looked into his eyes the night before she'd felt how much he loved her. _Had she been imagining it? Why was she even here?_

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she'd seen him excuse himself from _that girl_ and started heading towards her. She could not have forced the tears in that moment if she'd wanted to, but she felt like she needed to cry, like it was the only option now. She couldn't even make herself hate him anymore. She wanted him. But she just couldn't let her heart break again. It had broken so many times with him. It was so easy for him to break her.

"Blair," she heard him say. "What are you doing here?" Slowly, she turned from her stare in a different direction and faced him. She had occasionally looked the other way, so he wouldn't catch her staring at him and his new girlfriend. She should have found something more beneficial and less painful to do that day, but it hadn't happened, and she wanted to see him again.

"I…" She couldn't even pass off a good excuse. She sighed. "I wanted to see you again," she admitted, actually feeling the tears tempting her now. He didn't say something, and she shook her said, eager to keep the tears at bay. She'd thought they didn't even exist, and here they were threatening to spill on her cheeks and down the rest of her face. What would she do then? There would be so much tension between them then, because he'd want to help and she wouldn't know if she could let him. He wouldn't know either. She sighed and took a deep breath.

"But," she gestured toward the girl left standing by a trio of trees where they'd been. "I can see you're occupied." His brows furrowed in panic but she did not seem to notice.

"Her name's Eva," he said, cursing himself afterwards. _What was he trying to do, hurt her more? _Blair nodded her head, accepting the fact. "She helped me after I got shot, and then…"

"You started dating," she finished. "She's your girlfriend." A painful zap shot through him when she said the word _girlfriend_. He had only ever wanted it to be _her_ he referred to as his girlfriend. It seemed whenever things went wrong between them though, he had accepted he would never have her again. He had fought hard a few times, but mostly she had to tell him to fight for her. After what he'd done, he didn't think there would be a point to trying to get her back. He had almost proposed to her for crying out loud. It would have killed him more than any gunshot to hear her say _no_.

"I'm not occupied," he said after too long a silence. She wondered if he meant that in more than one sense. She looked up at him, searching his eyes for something she could not define. Very suddenly, she wanted to hold his hand. She wondered if it would burn them both. She looked down and saw the hand not leaning on the walking stick shake. It shocked her somehow. Her eyes flashed up to his.

"Do you need to sit down?" she asked without inflection, incredibly concerned. She would curse herself for it later. He shook his head, appearing on the edge of laughing over it.

"No," he said, his gaze moving from his hand back to her deep brown depths. "I won't fall over." She nodded, losing feeling in her body, drowning in the hazel-brown of his eyes. She felt her breath catch at his next words. "I'm not occupied," he said again, almost a whisper. He took a small step closer to her. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes as he cupped one side of her face with her hands. Her skin was soft against his touch. She felt incredibly warm.

"Your girlfriend," she managed, opening her eyes a little. For a moment, he was convinced she was talking about herself, but then reality hit. He released her and looked back around to _Eva_, who had her head tilted to the side in question. He nodded uncertainly at her. He turned back around to Blair.

"I'll be right back."

Her lips parted, eyes widening in shock. _What exactly was he planning to do?_

"Don't go anywhere." His eyes looked fiercely into hers.

"Chuck—" He was gone before she could finish her sentence. She had no idea what was going on. What did he want to do? Break it off with the blonde? Brush her off for the afternoon to spend the afternoon with _her_? She knew she could not trust herself in the current state she was in. She would kiss him. She knew she would. Despite the situation, she would kiss him. And then she would be responsible for his infidelity. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself for that. The other end wasn't pleasing either. She didn't think she could stand listening to him talking about his _precious Eva_ for the rest of the day. A shudder ran through her.

She left before he finished talking to the blonde. From afar, it looked like he did indeed just plan to spend the afternoon with Blair. Eva seemed very accepting about it. There was clearly no break-up. Was he just stringing her along? Blair would never know. She left before he came back, and she gave him no explanation. Looking like a little lost puppy, Chuck walked slowly back to where she had stood. He couldn't see where she had gone, and he didn't want to call Eva back. She wouldn't heal this loss, wouldn't fix the hope that had arisen him just for the possibility of spending a single _afternoon_ with _his_ Blair. Everything in him had shattered. Again.

….

A/N: Thoughts? Soon I'll write something in Chuck's POV. XD I've been doing so much in Blair's POV, mainly b/c I didn't know exactly what Chuck's 'new identity' would entail. But after seeing the promo, I at least know that he isn't really trying to conceal how much he still wants Blair, so uh…yeah. Maybe I shall attempt some with his POV. ;) As soon as I come up with another drabble idea. Heheh. Review! =D


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Mostly Chuck/Eva central. You've been warned. CB will be included though, as I've promised from the beginning. =)

*****Dedicated to **MiaTonili.** Because, amidst our chatter after seeing the epic new GG promo, a few scenarios came to mind, and I can't put them away until they're written. =) Thank-you.

…

**Drabble 1—**

Maybe she should have known that it was him all along. Perhaps she should have put two and two together, despite how nice he seemed, and how much of a good guy he looked. He was the perfect gentleman and the perfect lover. _Had it all been a dream she concocted in the magic atmosphere of Paris? _It didn't seem likely. Tourists got caught up in that type of romance – not that she didn't from time to time – but she had lived in France all her life, and most of that time had been spent in Paris. She did not think she could be swept up so easily into the arms of someone she had not known, until this instant, was the notorious playboy and billionaire baby of New York's Upper East Side, Chuck Bass.

In hindsight, she decided he had been rather smart to change his last name. It wasn't like she was used to saying last names that often, unless it was for some formality. When his friends called him _Bass_ or _Chuck Bass_, she simply passed it off as an inside joke. Nothing to really focus on or be concerned about. Now, she was surprised she hadn't asked about it, just out of curiosity. It was because she was a nice girl, she realized. If things were meant to be shared, she believed they would be eventually. If she wanted to hear something, her body almost involuntarily sent off signals to said individual. If things were meant to be said, they would be. Looking at Chuck Bass's – who she thought was her _boyfriend_ – passport lying in her hands, she felt like she'd been completely betrayed. It was a case of stolen identity, but this one had obviously been done on purpose. For one too long moment, she wondered if he had actually even been shot. She'd never seen the wound, or the scar. Somehow, when they'd made love, she'd just bypassed it, accepting it was there. Maybe it had all been her imagination.

What was worst of all was the fact that Blair Waldorf, _her_ boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, was practically hovering over her, watching her take in the information. It wasn't as if she'd really felt threatened by Blair since meeting her, but she wasn't blind. She was present during many of those spare moments when Chuck and Blair's eyes locked from across the room. There was a lot of history between them. She didn't really know much about their past, and probably not who her boyfriend actually _was_, but she did wonder for a bit if Blair had done this all on _purpose_. From what she had gathered, the break-up between the two of them had been mutual. _Was she trying to take back what was hers? Was he the one to break up with her?_ Eva realized, without a shadow of a doubt, she did not know very much about her boyfriend, or anybody who was associated with him for that matter.

"Eva." His voice called to her throughout the penthouse, but for some reason it did not really register to her. Blair blinked, still looking down at her expectantly, the little booklet loosely clutched in her hand.

"Eva." She heard his voice call again. Blair tipped her head to the side, almost playfully. It looked as if she were actually enjoying this exchange, and that Chuck was about to walk in on them. Eva could have sworn a moment ago she looked sympathetic.

"Eva! Wh—?" Chuck halted where he stood in the doorway. He gaped and his eyes widened at the sight, Eva on one side of the bed, hardly gripping the fact of what the passport said and meant to her and for the two of them, and Blair standing on the other side, hardly trying to hide her victory smirk. She turned to him when he came in.

"Chuck," she said cheerily, walking towards him about halfway across the room. "Eva found something." Her bitch smile shined brightly at him. His face was blink for several long seconds before he glowered. He looked truly angry for her manipulation, but some part of him knew he was not as pissed as he appeared. A part of him he did not think still existed knew she would fight for him eventually. Blackmail was her favorite tool.

Slowly, Eva's eyes lifted to his. Blair brushed past Chuck on her way out the door. She did not leave the penthouse though. She was convinced she had won, and planned on taking great delight on hearing the break-up conversation.

"What is this?" Eva asked, her voice a deathly low whisper. Chuck hadn't ever heard her upset. It was new, and it scared him. He hoped he would recover. He took a step towards her and swallowed hard.

"I can explain," he began carefully. She dropped the passport on the bed and folded her arms across her chest. She did not look amused at all. She looked _mad_.

"I'm waiting," she said plainly. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"You wouldn't have wanted me if I told you—"

"What?" she asked, suddenly exasperated. "The _truth_?"

He pursed his lips fiercely. "I'm not that person anymore, Eva." He came around the bed and held her hands tightly in his own. "_You_ have made me a better person." She sighed and rolled her eyes, trying to pull her hands away. He didn't let her. "_Please_," he begged. "I'm sorry I hid this from you. I just didn't want to lose you."

"Am I just a stand-in?" she asked, her eyebrows raising. He looked at her with a blank expression on his face. "Are you just waiting for Blair to fight for you?" His lips parted. "Because, let me tell you," She snapped her hands away. "She is more than ready to. I wouldn't be surprised if she—"

He kissed her before she could say another word. "No, I'm not waiting for that." He breathed softly. "I'm done waiting for that."

Eva breathed warily. Something inside her was nagging with the possibility that _he_ was responsible for what happened with Blair. She broke out of her _good girl_ exterior, forced herself to. She had to know everything he was hiding from her.

"Tell me everything," she said. His face was lying lightly against hers, nuzzling her close. His hands had come around her waist. How he tensed made her think he either didn't know what she was talking about or he was afraid to give in to that request.

"I will walk out of here and never look back, if your idea of a relationship with me is pretending the life before you got shot doesn't exist." She lifted her head to look at him. "What happened in the past matters now. It explains how you became what you are today."

"Eva—" She put a hand to his lips.

"Don't you dare tell me everything you are is because of me. You were someone before I met you. That person was made from the past, and I'm sure you weren't all bad. You hiding that person is pretending to be someone you're not." She sighed, stepping back once. "I won't be with your outer shell," she said. "I want to be with the _real_ you." She took the step back and put her hand over his heart. He put his hand over hers and nodded once.

"Okay."

She left a grand total of ten minutes later. Chuck did not miss the lingering brunette standing hidden in the shadows of the short hallway. After he'd pecked Eva on the lips and sent her into the elevator, he turned to Blair, leaning against the wall. They said nothing for a long time. Finally, she looked at him. He was not smirking like she'd thought he would be, like she had prepared herself for.

"I'm not apologizing," she said.

"I wouldn't expect you to," he said in response. She wanted to get angry, but all that surged up in her was hurt and helplessness. She forced confidence and straightened herself.

"Well, I best be going," she said lightly, pressing the button for the elevator. It came quickly. She was about to step in when she felt his hand wrap around her forearm. His touch burned her, but she forced herself to at least _look_ calm, unaffected by whatever he was trying to do.

"Don't ever do anything like this again, Blair." She blinked at the request, didn't know what to make of the order when it wasn't delivered with a threat in his eyes. Her lips thinned into a bitch smile.

"I can't promise anything."

He released her as she stepped into the elevator. She waved playfully at him as the door closed. He sighed and ran through his hair as silence ensued. He moved across the room and collapsed onto the couch. Then, he pulled a picture out of the pocket of his pants. He cursed himself for looking at it so often, but after every encounter with Blair, he felt the need. It was a picture of her after all. Staring at it long enough _usually_ convinced him he was no good for her. Calling Eva afterwards, laughing with her on the phone, delighting in how beautiful her giggle sounded in his ears, _usually_ confirmed that belief. Usually.

He didn't know about today.

….

**Drabble 2—**

He couldn't even remember why he'd wanted to see her. They hadn't decided on a date. He thought maybe he'd just pay her a visit. But he couldn't get a hold of her. He was half tempted to hang out with Blair, but he knew that was still dangerous territory. Neither of them were fully healed from the experience to really attempt a full-fledged friendship. _Baby steps_, he reminded himself. Baby steps. So, he continued to call after Eva. _Nothing_.

She had made a few friends in the city – Eva had. He called them. They didn't know where she was. He called her friends back in Paris. Surprisingly, most of them were unaware of him. He'd sworn she'd introduced him to a lot of them. Even more shocking was the fact that some of them didn't even sound like they knew _Eva_. Something was up, he decided. It was very possible she just lost her phone or forgot to get back to him. Maybe she was busy with some _new_ friends. He sighed at the thought. It sounded very pathetic to him in his suddenly very paranoid state.

Finally, he reached her, or at least someone who knew where she was. It was someone who knew her, though his voice sounded very raspy and like he'd lived on the streets for years. His English was rough and dirty. Many words he couldn't make out properly. Chuck sighed, wondering what he'd gotten himself into. Eventually, he got an address, proud of himself for not resorting to his P.I., and not having done so since before _the accident_.

It didn't hit him till about halfway there that he was heading towards a brothel. He panicked, and then his overprotective side kicked in at high pitch. He wondered what she could possibly be doing there. He hoped she hadn't accidentally gotten herself into something she'd been unaware of in the light of day. She was sweetly naïve about the underground business world of Manhattan. His hands clenched on the handle on the side of the door. When he arrived, he did not wait for Arthur to open his door. He practically jumped out of the limo and charged straight for the brothel. The owner clearly didn't recognize him – it was a private club he realized, but after informing the man of who he was – something he had not done for some time, to anyone – he was let in, with gracious hand gestures and females in feathery outfits down the main corridor.

A jolted memory flooded through him when he walked into the large room where most of the guests resided. There was booze, multiple whores, and age-old music resounding throughout the room. What froze him where he stood was the sight of Eva dancing and stripping on stage to the beat of the music, looking like she was having the time of her life. Her blonde hair sensually draped around her shoulders. She looked hot, he had to admit, but it did make him upset that she'd hid this from him. Was she a prostitute? Or had she simply done this on a dare like he'd made Blair do three years earlier?

He shuddered at the thought, of all the thoughts running through him. He couldn't believe he was comparing _Blair_ yet again to this new blonde beauty. He found he'd been doing it a lot since he started seeing Eva. A lot of the time the comparisons had been very different, but now he saw a distinct similarity and he _needed_ the answer to his question. He tried to block out the images of Blair stripping and dancing at Victrola out of his head, but it was nearly impossible. He knew who he was then would have been overwhelmingly proud of him for hooking up with a _prostitute_ – and _staying_ with her. Though, the sixteen year old Chuck probably would not have been able to comprehend the _staying with her_ part, unless the only thing that consisted of the relationship was lacy lingerie and sex. He was somewhat different now, in a _huge_ way. He did not want his girlfriend to be a prostitute.

He strutted straight up to the side of the stage, and when the song was over, he called to her. She did not seem to hear him, and he couldn't blame her for that the first time. It was incredibly loud in the crowd. He would not have heard himself either, unless he had been trying to listen in for it. He called her name again. She turned her head a little, but couldn't find him.

"Eva!" he called. Her eyes found him and widened dramatically. He felt a terrible clenching down in his gut. She hadn't wanted to know. He'd put everything right up front for her, had told her everything about Blair and all that he'd done. She'd accepted him without a second thought, though he had to admit, she put on a good show, looking like a mournful girlfriend as she listened. Now he knew why she'd accepted him. She was not exactly proud of what she did. She hadn't wanted him to know. She'd kept it from him.

"Chuck," she made out, her voice sounding half strangled in her throat. His brows narrowed and he knew she was debating whether she should make a run for it and confront him with the truth.

"Explain yourself," he demanded when they'd made it to the quieter hallway. "What is this?" he asked, looking her up and down briefly. "Is this some sort of sick joke, or—"

"Yes!" she shouted in a heated whisper. She could barely look at him, but when she did her eyes were wide and in some sort of defense she did not feel. "I'm a call girl, okay?"

He looked at her in shook his head in disbelief. He blew out some air, exasperated. Suddenly, he looked very relieved, as if he'd come to a conclusion that would give her a decent excuse, and save them. "Why didn't you tell me you needed money?" he asked gently, rubbing her bare arms softly with his hands. "I could have helped."

She looked angered by the thought. Her brows narrowed. "I would never ask for your money, Chuck." She almost spat the words. He sighed at her stubbornness and shook her head, now confident he could deal with the situation. He dug his wallet out of his pocket and began writing her out a check.

"How much?" he asked point-blank, not looking at her.

"What?" she asked, aghast.

"How much?" he asked again, looking up at her this time. She only blinked.

"I'm not taking your money, Chuck." He frowned.

"Then, what exactly do you plan on doing to support yourself?" The thought of her moving in with him flashed through her mind, but it horrified him. That was his initial reaction. He could not explain it. He didn't want to think about the fact that the last woman to spend so much time in his suite was none other than Blair Waldorf.

"This," she said, as if it were obvious. He rolled his eyes, moving past his shock.

"Look, if you really want to work, we can find you a more…decent job," he said. He knew he should probably be intrigued by the porn aspect of what she was doing, but he was drowning in a sea of indecency. He felt more like a disappointed father than an overprotective and offended boyfriend.

"Chuck, I'm good at this," she defended. It was true, he admitted, but it still did not fix the situation. He crossed his arms across his chest and gave her a once over.

"You can't live like this," he said finally. She looked at him, not able to determine what she really wanted to say.

"This makes me feel alive." She looked him up and down, and he felt as if he didn't even know her. Who was this girl? "If you can't accept that, then," She shrugged. "it's probably best we part ways." She actually smiled sadly, and he wondered if she meant it. He didn't know what to think anymore. She turned away to walk back into the huge room. He half-contemplated telling her to perform at Victrola, because at least it would be of better…quality, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that a life like this, an enjoyed, intended life like this would cause him more embarrassment than he'd known yet.

"Don't worry." He heard through muddled thoughts. "I take precautions."

He felt as if she was him at sixteen. Him always informing his conquests and his friends that he always had a condom handy, because he'd never want to be caught dead with a pregnant one night stand. He didn't know if they were together or not as she walked back into the large room, but he didn't think he wanted to be. He was the good guy now, and even when he wasn't, he hadn't thought dating a prostitute would be a good idea. There would have still had to be feelings.

He shook off the bewildered, betrayed feeling that had taken over him and walked out of the brothel. He headed towards his limo, allowing Arthur to hold the door open for him.

"Waldorf residence," he muttered numbly. Arthur nodded.

"Right away, Sir."

Inside the vehicle, after some zoning in and out, Chuck pulled out his phone and found her number on speed dial. He was beyond relieved and a feeling of euphoria soared through him when she answered on the first ring.

"Hey, Blair, I know we're not exactly on good terms yet, but," he sighed. "I was wondering if you had—"

"—time to talk?" she finished for him. He nearly smiled, and then nodded, unaware for a few moments that she actually couldn't see him. Beautifully, as only she could, she continued on in his silence. "I've got loads. Meet me in ten?" she offered up nonchalantly.

"Uh…yeah, I—" he paused to look around at his surroundings, and sighed.

"Chuck?" she asked, sudden confusion settling in.

"Make it twenty-five," he informed her, "I'm in…_Brooklyn_."

The disgust filling his voice made her ecstatic. She smiled wide and shut her phone. _Finally, he hated Brooklyn again._ It was beginning to appall her how he accepted every city on earth after having come back from Paris with that French nobody, that _Eva_.

…

A/N: Mostly Chuck/Eva, I know, but I warned you there would be some in this collection. I also told you that CB would always be in there somewhere, and they were. *nod* Hope you enjoyed, despite CEv being central. XD They were SLs I found interesting and refused to toss out the window. Lol. Please review! =D


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Good Lord. I think the best thing in the world just happened to me. XD Despite my insistence on resisting spoilers at all costs, I stupidly subscribed to a site that often updates with spoilers. Lmao! Anyways, there is a very recent spoiler that has been sent to me. SPOILER ALERT! CB are going to have some hot, steamy scenes this season. And no, that doesn't mean they'll be together. But, please, how far off could it be? We knew they could never resist each other. ;)

So, yeah, you guessed it. I'm going to write up a possible steamy sex scene (meaning rated **M** – definitely) between C & B for sometime in the season. Hope you all enjoy, and please, _please_ comment. ;)

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

…

Some part of her mind was still thinking logically. The other part of her – the majority part – was trying to maintain some sort of breathing skill while being pushed up against the wall by her ex-lover, Chuck Bass. _What had happened_, she wondered, as she felt the nipping of his teeth on the smooth silk of her neck. She'd been pissed and heartbroken, not only from what he'd done with Jenny and the hotel, but also because he'd had the nerve to come back with a girlfriend and with the determination to be something he wasn't.

But that wasn't true. He'd come back wanting to be worthy of her, wanting to not hurt her ever again. That part of Chuck Bass had always been there deep down. And the passion that flared between them now, most of it provoked by _him_, proved to her the very Chuck Bass reputation he'd developed amongst the women of New York and elsewhere was still there. But this time it was all directed at her.

She couldn't focus. Her eyes were a mix of blurry and black, so she just decided to close him and thrill in the feel of Chuck pressed tightly against her. She was vaguely aware of the obvious bed just a few feet away, but she could no longer concentrate on changing locations. Not when Chuck's obvious manhood was bulging against her thighs, not when his lips were devouring her mouth and every inch of skin on her face and neck and shoulders, not when he was sliding the slim straps of her dress off her shoulders and unzipping the back of it painfully slow.

_Oh yeah. This experience had Chuck Bass written all over it._

"Chuck," she gasped, breathing heavily against him as he lifted her up to about his hips. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Blair," he grunted, pushing himself still closer to her, a fistful of her gorgeous locks in one hand and squeezing enticingly rough on her hip with the other.

She sucked in a quick breath of air when she felt him lifting up her dress and feeling around for her panties. He stilled for one brief moment and pulled away from where his teeth seemed glued to her neck. She wasn't wearing any underwear and she could tell from the look on his face that he was trying to not look pleased or like he'd hoped for it, but there was no denying the look of pure lust and enthusiasm embedded in his eyes.

"You're not—"

"No," she breathed, forcing his mouth back on hers with an intensity that she swore sent a shudder through him. She wondered if he'd ever been like this with any other girl. Somehow she just couldn't possibly imagine him giving Eva this kind of excitement, but she didn't think about it a moment longer. Two of his fingers had slipped into her core and heat flooded through her and into him like a monsoon flooding a scorching desert.

"God, Chuck!" she cried out, wrapping her arms even more fiercely around his neck, her forehead collapsing on his shoulder. Her nails dug into his skin. He was panting now, clearly on the edge of collapsing himself.

"Bed," he mumbled breathlessly. She shook her head rapidly, as if she was appalled by the idea yet in an extreme tired state.

"No. Here. _Now_," she demanded. She lifted her head to greet his eyes again and the intensity he saw in her eyes turned his legs into jelly. He braced himself against the wall. Being called impatient would have been a serious understatement at the moment. It irritated her that he'd apparently suddenly gotten cold feet about doing it on a wall. That was un-Chuck Bass like. She didn't like it, so she squeezed her legs tighter around him, pressing herself up against his fingers which seemed to crumple inside her.

"_Touch me_, Chuck," she whispered hotly in his ear. Again, she swore she felt him shudder. I _want_ you," she said darkly in his other ear, bringing her face back around to seek the depths in his intense eyes. If everything else in him appeared to be shaking, his eyes told a completely different story.

His breathing quickened but he didn't move. She relaxed her arms around his neck and leaned back a little, coy grin proudly in place. Her eyes glittered with mischief.

"Don't tell me you've got cold feet over doing me on a wall," she said slowly, seductively, as she traced the lines of his full lips with her fingertip. A breath seemed to get caught in his throat again and her smile widened. She leaned further back in his embrace until it seemed it was only the wall and her legs wrapped around Chuck's waist that were keeping her in mid-air. She tightened her grip on him and lifted herself off the wall just enough to pull the dress over her head. No bra had been necessary and she saw the satisfaction evident in his eyes at that fact; she had not worn any undergarments on their third date. She'd known this would happen. And not just because he was Chuck Bass trying extra hard not to hurt her, but because she _needed_ to have him again like this and she knew that would be the perfect lure.

"I don't want to go too fast," he breathed extra hard and extra fast, his eyes devouring her breasts as they lay out before him practically on a silver platter, supple and round, warm to the touch. Her arms encircled his neck again and he groaned as she pressed her breasts up against his chest that ridiculous still had a shirt on it.

"Make love to me, Chuck," she breathed hotly again in his ear. She considered giving him the option of either the wall or the bed just because she was so desperate to have him inside of her by now but she rejected the contemplation. She simply could not wait, and she wanted it rough against the wall. What might be called reunion sex should be memorable, not…what's expected for _normal_ people. He was Chuck Bass and she was Blair Waldorf. They didn't do normal, especially not with each other.

Luckily for her, the Chuck she'd fallen in love with had been rising to the surface faster than quicksand after things had ended with that _girlfriend_ of his, _Eva_, from France. He still had his even more strict morals in place, but it was clear he couldn't resist her. Using the bed was just an excuse to get out of the predicament he now considered them to be in. Clearly, he had forgotten that fighting got her hot, especially when it was about sex.

She leaned forward and kissed him, pulling back on his bottom lip with her teeth. "Make love to me," she whispered again. Slowly, she unbuttoned his shirt, glad that his bowtie, of which he'd started wearing again, had at least been peeled off before they reached the bedroom. He did not stop her. When she unbuckled him and unzipped his pants, he did not stop her or complain in the least. His heavy breathing and almost continuous moaning told her she was definitely doing something right, numerous things in fact.

"_Chuck_," she whispered into his mouth, cradling his large length in her hand, swirling her fingers around it with delicate lightness. He could take it no longer. He pushed into her hard and rough, the impact pulling her straight back against the wall. It was not entirely unexpected but she was taken by surprise. She recovered quickly though, creating the fast tempo before he could retreat. Soon he was lost in her – all morals forgotten.

She cried out his name amongst moans and growls. "I can taste you," he growled against her. "God, I can _taste_ you," he murmured, pressing himself harder against her, increasing the speed at which their hips moved against each other, the way their pelvises fit perfectly and ground in extreme pleasure, mixing the sweat they created.

"_Chuck_!" she cried out again, holding onto him fiercely, ever heightening herself on him to create a new sensation.

"Blair," he grunted back. And then euphoria hit. They both cried out each other's names one final time in exultation. Then, Chuck nearly collapsed against her. Blair's legs dangled around his hips and eventually her feet hit the floor. His head, having fallen on her shoulder, lifted up and looked into her mysterious, desire-laden eyes, exhausted as she was.

"This changes everything," he panted softly, not breaking eye contact for a moment.

"It changes nothing," she said, seduction somehow still evident in her voice. He could have sworn he'd begun to harden again.

"You're lying," he told her, suddenly filled with enthusiasm at the reminder that he could always drag out her denial for the world to see.

Her head fell against his shoulder, and she wondered how he had suddenly gotten so sturdy when he was seconds from falling just a moment earlier. Now, she longed for the soft silk comforter neatly lying atop the bed just beyond.

"Yes," she said, breathless. _Finally, he was telling the truth._

…

A/N: It is finished. Hope you handled it alright. ;) Review!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Based on part of an EL interview. *will list down below* Finally, one with Chuck's POV! XD Enjoy. Please review.

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

"_Chuck is going to be quite smitten with her [Eva] but his heart is not available right now. He treats her right, he is sincere but I think he loves what she represents, a way to escape his past. She doesn't know the old chuck so he can't be himself with her. He is attracted by the quiet life without problems of this French student. He sees with her as a chance to have a new life." _

_–Ed (on Chuck's feelings about his new girlfriend – early S4)_

* * *

It hit him hard like a rock tumbling down a steep hill with himself as the only target, the one that wouldn't – _couldn't_ – move. _He should've known_, he scolded himself now. He should have knownknown he'd only been fooling himself, that he could never get over Blair. Being with Eva made him feel justified in being alive, like he wasn't the worst person to ever walk the earth. She was wonderful too; it wasn't just what she represented. He liked her, a lot. But, the representation of what she was did weigh heavy on his thoughts more than he wished to admit lately. There was no doubt in his mind that he was crazy about her. But the feeling multiplied by a hundred every time he saw Blair, and then it was directed at _her_. His heart squeezed more horribly tight when Blair refused to acknowledge him, to pretend they never were and never had been, than the fact that he'd been lying to Eva about his past since the moment they met. He should have felt guilty for that, and he did. But it hardly mattered. He still wanted Blair.

He'd been a haze those three months following the shooting. He'd met Eva and everything had seemed to fall into place. She'd been a breath of fresh air, just what he needed to keep her going. He might have even called himself lovestruck, but somehow that seemed impossible. If it had any connection to being in love with her, there was no way it could be true. He just knew down in his gut that he could never fall in love with someone other than Blair Waldorf, and if he did, it wouldn't be as deep, as meaningful. It would seem like perfection, but it wouldn't be. It wasn't as if he was even considering Eva as his end all, but it had become painstakingly clear that he was betraying her, and him. The possibility that he was betraying Blair was a serious understatement, even if she didn't take it that way. He didn't know if she did. He didn't know what she thought anymore.

It was _his_ fault Eva didn't know who he really was, what he'd all done in his life. She had helped him after the gunshot wound. She was beautiful and smart and sexy, and she gave him a fresh start. She brought him into the sunlight when he'd thought he would be stuck in perpetual gloom. He knew she would be nothing short of disgusted appalled if he told her how he'd lived his life before ending up in Prague on that God-forsaken night, stumbling through a near deserted alley and losing the last part of Blair he'd been allowed to keep.

Eva was a crutch. He'd been lying to her since day one so she'd be with him, just like he'd lied to Blair about Jenny Humphrey so she wouldn't shatter his heart again into a million pieces. Nothing had changed except for his very real, undying passion for Blair Waldorf. He just couldn't do it anymore. If he was going to try and change himself, be a better person, he had to do it honestly.

"You're breaking up with me," she said, confirming the fact. It was clear that she had accepted it and Chuck was almost startled with how fast it happened. Anyone that had known him would've seen it coming a mile away, but Eva had only known him mere months. The leaves were still green on the trees.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. She looked deep into his eyes, seemingly searching for something. He remembered their conversation when they'd finally settled on board the plane leading to the great U.S.

_"That was her, wasn't it?" she asked curiosly. It was clear she already knew the answer to her question._

_"Hmm?" _

_"That girl. She was the one that broke your heart."_

_He wanted to sigh and tell her everything. He wanted to tell someone everything. He wanted at least to correct her in telling that it had been him who'd broken Blair's heart, even if he did get wounded in the process. But he couldn't. Then he'd lose her. And then he'd have nothing. He needed something. At least for awhile. _

_He forced a tight smile, lips stretched thin. "Yes."_

_She sighed and leaned back in her seat. Her fingers lightly traced the curve of his arm. "I know you're still in love with her, Chuck…"_

_He turned to her quickly and grasped her hand gently, too gently for the ferocity he now felt exploding inside of him. He wanted to tell her she was wrong, but he knew it wasn't the truth. He had lied too much already. "I'm with you, Eva. I like you a lot."_

_She smiled gently, understanding – and dare he say, pity? – filling her gaze instantly. "I know."_

_"I…I…" He just couldn't seem to get out the words he wanted. Tell her he was still in love? Tell her deep down he didn't want to get over Blair Waldorf? Tell her he somehow feared she was a crutch, his little blonde angel? "My heart's not ready yet," he said finally._

_Her soft smile remained in place. "I'll be waiting."_

"Maybe I should have seen it coming," she laughed lightly. He could hear the sadness in her voice though, hope more than anything that she wasn't about to cry.

"No," he said softly, taking her hands in his own, rubbing circles over the back of them with his thumbs. "No one could have seen it coming, Eva. I thought we were done."

Her brows furrowed in confusion, and then it dawned on him that the two of them weren't in sync, not in the way that he'd been with Blair. He'd just thrown the harsh truth in her face now. His face felt hot and sweaty with guilt.

"What are you—" Her eyes widened in realization. She took a step back and removed her hands without force. He let them slip away. "Blair," she said point-blank. He avoided her crystal blue eyes. "This is about Blair. This is about not being over her. That's why you're breaking up with me, you want to be with her again."

"I'm not going to fight for her," he told her very seriously, though his mind mocked him as he said it, mocked him for saying another lie, both to himself and to Eva. He tried to ignore the pounding in his head and the rapid beat of his heart.

"I would have waited as long as it took," she told him. Her eyes watered with tears and he hated himself, knew the truth was going to slip out before he opened his mouth.

"My heart would have never been ready."

The words pained her, but she turned her face away to wipe the tears onto her hand. Then, she snatched up her purse and turned back to him. She embraced him tightly, and he wondered why she wasn't angry, making accusations like she'd been a tool the time. He wondered if she'd thought it before and just cooled down or if she was going to think it later that night. For that moment he brushed the possibilities aside and just held her.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into her hair. He heard a breath catch in her throat. Slowly, she pulled away from him, tears streaming down her face. He felt like he'd just been informed that he slaughtered children as a hobby and enjoyed doing it. And was trying to recover, to turn his life around. The illusion was not far from the truth.

Her lips pressed to his for a very long, lingering moment.

"I love you, Chuck," she breathed, and then she was gone.

He stood there a long time, memorizing the moment as if it would be forgotten the second he moved. Finally, he walked towards the giant window and stared out at the tall skyscrapers looming all over Manhattan. He would fight for Blair. He had to. He wouldn't hurt any more girls trying to move on, not when his heart had stubbornly chosen only to stay with its first true love. All the bullshit about first loves never lasting just didn't apply in his case. He was Chuck Bass and she was Blair Waldorf. They fit, and whether she liked it or not, he was going to come after her and show her how they loved. They didn't belong with anyone else. They were meant for each other.

….

Blair tapped her high-heeled enclosed foot rapidly on the metal legs of the table. She sat across from Serena at another old Parisian outdoor café. She hadn't been paying attention to what her best friend was saying since she sat down five minutes ago. She'd landed in her sleep, requested Serena tell her how her date with what's-his-name had gone earlier in the day, and been unable to concentrate. In all truth, she hardly tried.

Her mind was swimming with Chuck. And who she'd seen him with, and how they'd acted towards each other. The brief contact they shared scared her past what she thought she could bear. She wanted to handle it, to move on like she hadn't seen anything. But angry, sad, frustrated, desperate emotions clawed at her all over again. It was as if the world of denial she'd been living in all summer vanished a heartbeat, like it had never been there to begin with.

Somewhere over the last two and a half minutes, Serena had stopped talking.

"_B_."

Blair suddenly stopped moving her foot and focused her attention on the blonde, who was looking at her expectantly, the gaze bordering on concern and amusement.

"What? I'm listening," she informed her. Serena was even more amused, but she decided not to test her best friend this time. She folded her arms over each other on the table and looked directly at her.

"What happened, Blair?"

Blair pursed her lips fiercely, debating at an incredibly impressive speed whether she should give in and tell Serena what she'd seen or if she should just deal with it and make some ridiculous story that her best friend probably wouldn't believe now anyways. Her lips blew open in a big huff.

"I saw Chuck."

Serena's eyes widened, her lips parted in shock as she instinctively reached across the table to hold her hand. "Oh, B…"

"He was with a girl." She swallowed hard. Serena actually smiled. She shook her head and Blair knew immediately that she didn't understand the seriousness of the situation.

"B, he's with girls all the time. It's how he copes. You know this. Besides, why do you care so much? I thought you were done with him."

Blair blinked in how ridiculous Serena was sounding. Yes, she was done with him. She would never forgive him and he knew that. Serena knew that. Dan probably knew that too. But the part of her that would instantly push him even _more_ out of her life had not kicked in yet. For that whole afternoon she knew she wouldn't be able to jog her denial and traces of feelings away. They had too quickly fallen away with one glimpse of him and that girl.

"He's dating her," she said, ignoring all of Serena's well pointed out facts. The blonde looked at her in disbelief.

"B, Chuck doesn't _date_. He only dated you, and both of us know how long _that_ took to happen."

Blair sighed, putting a hand to her head as if she suffered from a massive migraine. "I know, it doesn't make sense to me either. But, he didn't know I was there and they were holding hands, kissing, being all coupley." She looked up from the table to look into Serena's now worried eyes. "He wasn't trying to make me jealous, and it isn't a fling. I…I saw…" She paused, looking out into the distance, not seeing a single thing in sight. It was all a blur as her mind raced against the thoughts that wouldn't leave her alone, that she'd somehow kept at bay all summer. "I saw how he looked at her."

She turned back to Serena who had clearly just swallowed hard, trying to gather her thoughts and be the strength she knew her best friend needed in that moment. There was a huge part of her that wanted to keep this vulnerable Blair out in the open for as long as she could, so she could get to the bottom of the story. She hated when Blair hid herself when all she wanted to do was help. The barrier was usually up again before she could do anything again. But there was another part of her that just didn't want her best friend to hurt. She took a deep breath and closed her fingers tightly around her best friend's.

"I've seen how he looks at you, B," she said softly. Blair gazed at her intently. "He could never look at anyone else like that."

Blair wanted to deny her statement but somehow it struck a cord with her. A lot of the pain she'd felt with seeing Chuck with that new bimbo had been covered up. She nodded subtly once, and smiled softly just a little. She came around the table and hugged her best friend. She sighed against her.

"Thanks, S."

Serena sighed again. "Oh, B."

….

A/N: I think I'm done for now – with this chapter I mean. XD I was going to do one final thing of Chuck challenging Blair amidst of confrontation if she would have even gone to see him if she'd known he'd been shot – which I found out via the episode summary, she had no clue – but I want to be done with this chapter and I've done so many CB bridge/street confrontation already. XD ha. Maybe I'll squeeze it in during some other scenario. Lol. Please review! =D I was only initially planning on doing one drabble. So, the second one doesn't apply to the interview quote. It's going off the thought that at the end of the first episode – before CB officially meet up – she sees him with Eva.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: One last drabble before the episode tonight. (OMG! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BACK! *GASP!*) I figured I owed you that much since I didn't say my goodbyes in the chapter. Lol. After this one, this fic will officially be finished. Any other CB or CBEv fics I write will be considered separate oneshots or multi-chap fics. ;p Hope you enjoyed this. Please comment! =D (Forgive me if this last one's short ;p)

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

…

She didn't know how they'd gotten there, in the same room, talking to each other without that dangerous venomous fire in their eyes. They were relaxed a moment ago but now a slight tension settled on them. Blair forgot what she'd said but she did remember – and still saw – that lovesick look in his eyes. He'd broken up with Eva weeks ago. That was not what jolted her thoughts and caused her to involuntarily move a couple of steps closer to him.

"Blair," he breathed, breaking her out of her haze. Her eyes flicked up to his and her lips parted. The pink gloss on her lips shone in the light.

"Why?" She croaked. She swallowed a couple times to get her voice back. She blinked and shook her head, trying to put herself together, trying to stop the sweat droplets from consuming her entire body and sticking her hair to her neck. When she looked back up at him he was staring questioningly into her eyes. He was confused and she was not going to let another minute pass them by before her question was answered – or at least until her question was so clear cut he could not possibly be mistaken in the route she was going.

"You never told me why you got shot," she said bluntly. "You told me you got mugged after exiting a brothel." She crossed her arms across her chest, surprisingly not feeling a single pang of hurt or anger at the fact that he'd dropped into a brothel only a week after they'd parted ways. "You must have had something valuable on you or they wouldn't have shot you to get it, something important." She took another step towards him. His eyes flashed to hers, unable to look away from her pleading expression. He swallowed hard.

"Only, you don't keep valuables on you. Credit cards or cash maybe," She shrugged. "But you wouldn't be worried to be rid of those. They wouldn't be hard to cancel or replace." She paused, pursing her lips. "You had something valuable with you, something irreplaceable t least in your eyes. What was it?"

He could barely breathe. He didn't know how she'd figured it out or why she'd waited so long to last or even why she was asking at all. It had been only recently that they weren't fighting or being ignorant of each other every time they passed ways. But he wouldn't lie to her, couldn't lie to her. If he never had her again, the least he could do was tell her the truth.

"It was an engagement ring," he said softly. Her eyes widened, but even moreso with what he said next. "Yours."

"_What_?" she asked, breathless. She couldn't move. She couldn't do anything. Her eyes were moving all over the place but finally they focused back on his face. He took a shaky step towards her, and daringly grasped her hands in his owns. His thumbs smoothed over her soft hands.

"That night" Her eyes closed at the memory. She knew exactly what night he was referring to. "You told me that none of it mattered anymore. That the whole night didn't happen." She swallowed hard. "But, if you will recall…" he drew out the words, capturing her attention even further. She could not look away if she called. "I was about to ask you to marry me."

Her lips parted and her jaw dropped, but she made no sound. His hand slowly traveled up her arm and grazed her neck softly. His hand cupped her face. She could see his eyes repeatedly lowering to her lips. Then, he released her and dropped his hands to his sides.

"But then we were over." He sighed. "For good." She looked at him, incredibly concerned as he looked so forlorn before her. It was a mystery to her why the memory of what he'd done to her did not burn in that moment.

"That ring was all I had left of us." He sucked in a huge gasp. "It _was_ irreplaceable."

Without thinking, or speaking, Blair lunged at him, her lips attacking his with a ferocity that she hadn't felt in awhile. She thought maybe he'd stop her, despite the fact that she seemed to have healed for the most part and they both were single. But he didn't. His hands flew to her waist, her hips, her legs, her everything. He kissed her with a hungry, raw passion that stole her breath.

She stopped thinking for the next three hours; they both did. All they did was feel. And what they felt was hot and soft as velvet. They exploded in their passion.

….

A/N: Thoughts? I know it's not as graphic as my other one, but this was a scenario I had in mind & there are exactly 12 minutes left until the episode airs! XD I shall try to update my fics more regularly in the future. I was just preoccupied with vidding. Lol.


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